Technical Field
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional shaping device which realizes the multilayering of powder layers, the sintering of the powder layers with a laser beam and furthermore the cutting of the individual layers after the completion of the sintering.
Background Art
In the case of the three-dimensional shaping device described above, in a region on a table within a chamber, the multilayering and sintering of a plurality of powder layers are performed, thereafter the cutting is performed, and the step of performing the multilayering and sintering of the powder layers and the cutting afterward as described above is repeated.
In the case of three-dimensional shaping, in order to prevent metal powder from being oxidized at the stage of sintering, a chamber is filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon.
However, in a conventional technique, an inert gas is supplied not only to a region of a table and the vicinity thereof where shaping of a three-dimensional article is performed, but also to a region where a powder supply device is present.
For example, in Patent Document 1, a cartridge portion in which an inert gas is stored is installed in the neighborhood of a material storage frame 24 (FIG. 1 and paragraphs [0050] and [0051]), and in the case of such an arrangement, the inert gas supplied from an enclosure 50 is inevitably made to flow also to the side of the powder supply device.
In Patent Document 2, it is proposed that an injection port and a suction port for an inert gas are provided, then the inert gas is made to flow locally to a region to which an optical beam is applied and thus the inert gas is economically utilized.
However, in a case where an inert gas, is made to flow locally, before sintered powder is cooled, the contact of the sintered powder with the inert gas is completed, and the sintered powder is brought into contact with air, with the result that it is impossible to realize sufficient prevention of oxidization.
In Patent Document 3, a shroud 7 in a state where the shroud 7 covers a powder layer 13, a sintering device, that is, an optical beam application means 5, a powder supply device, that is, a powder supply means 3, and a powder spraying machine, that is, a powder smoothing means 4 are integrally provided in three-dimensional directions, and thus moved on a shaping bed 2, with the result that the amount of inert gas used is reduced (abstract, selected diagram in FIG. 1 and paragraph [0024]).
However, the integral configuration of the movement in the three-dimensional directions described above is inconvenient to operate as a device, and the control thereof is extremely complicated in that it is impossible to perform a simple operation in which a table is made elevatable/lowerable and in which then a powder spraying squeegee is independently moved.
As described above, in the conventional technique, with the relatively simple configuration, the efficient use of the inert gas is proposed.